Click on image to enlarge.

	Regular				Club
You Pay:	$2.50				$2.13

eBook Category: Fantasy/Science Fiction
eBook Description: I could teach them this. But the laws of our charter prevent me and I am bound by oath to obey those laws; laws made, not by our own Guild-mothers, but by men who fear what we might have to say to their women!

eBook Publisher: Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust, Published: The Bloody Sun, 1979
Fictionwise Release Date: April 2006

This eBook is part of the following series:

• Various Authors Darkover Series

39 Reader Ratings: Great Good OK Poor

Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [279 KB], eReader (PDB) [42 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [32 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [30 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [65 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [100 KB], hiebook (KML) [125 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [68 KB], iSilo (PDB) [27 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [34 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [66 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [47 KB]
Words: 10300
Reading time: 29-41 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

"You are a Free Amazon, mestra?" He used the common, and rather offensive, term; but she did not hold it against him. Many knew no other name.

"I am," she said, "but we would rather say: I am of the oath-bound--" The word she used was Comhi-Letzis--"A Renunciate of the Sisterhood of Freed Women."

"May I ask--without giving offense--why the name Renunciate, mestra?"

Actually, Kindra welcomed a chance to explain. "Because, sir, in return for our freedom as women of the Guild, we swear an oath renouncing those privileges that we might have by choosing to belong to some man. If we renounce the disabilities of being property and chattel, we must renounce, also, whatever benefits there may be; so that no man can accuse us of trying to have the best of both choices."

He said gravely, "That seems to me an honorable choice. I have never yet met a--a--a--Renunciate. Tell me, mestra--" His voice suddenly cracked high. "I suppose you know the slanders that are spoken of you--tell me, how does any woman have the courage to join the Guild, knowing what will be said of her?"

"I suppose," Kindra said quietly, "for some women, a time comes when they think that there are worse things than being the subject of public slanders. It was so with me."